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PRABUDHHA JIVAN: GANDHARVAD SPECIAL
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2013
GANDHARVAD IN JAIN PHILOSOPHY
DR. ANIL V. DESAI
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[ Leanrned writer is professor of philosophy and Vice Principal of Acharya Marathe College, Chembur, Mumbai. He wrote Ph.D. thesis on Concepts of Soul, Karma, and liberation in Jainism'. He is a graceful speaker and wrote many articles on various subjects of Jainism.]
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Its meaning, Historical Sources, Importance and Relevance in Modern Times.
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* O Vardhamana ! You are one who has become exceptionally gifted scholars, each of them had con- * * the very embodiment of imperishable pure con- flicting understanding of vedic texts and thereby had * * sciousness, omniscience and one who is knower of doubts or uncertainty on those points. These doubts * * the transformations of all existents characterized by were crucial links in their overall understanding of * * origination, destruction and permanence. You are Vedic phiolosophy. These were the reasons for their * * indeed knowledge endowed with the splendours. imperfections. They had almost all the knowledge * * What is this light of yours? It is truly mavellous to except these doubts. As they commanded great re- * * us.
spect and reverence from the laity, they were reluc- * * This is how AMRATCHANDRA Suri has de- tant to seek clarifications or they might have believed * * scribed Lord Mahavira, about nine hundred years no one knew better or could give them satisfsctory * ago.
answer. * Lord Mahavira, the 24th and last of Jaina These doubts were in following order. * Tirthanakrs in this era enlightened and inspired minds 1. The first Gandhar Indrabhuti had doubts about ex- * * and spirits of all life forms about six centuries before istence of soul independent of body. Even if it ex- * * Christ.
ists is it one or many? Or whether it continues * GANDHARVAD is the name assigned to de- after the death of body. * bates, doubts, questions and points of imperfections 2. The second Gandhar Agnibhuti had doubts about * * raised by eleven Learned Vedic Scholars (Brahmins KARMATATVA. Is there a cause which affects * * by birth) to Lord Mahavira. Lord Mahavira who be- every thought, word and action therby influencing * * ing omniscient had pre-knowledge of the same. Lord the destiny of its doer? * Mahavira answered and resolved all points of im- 3. The third Gandhar Vayubhuti doubted whether soul * * perfections to the total satisfaction of all of them. and body are one or different from each other ? * * All eleven of them were no ordinary mortals, they This is a question very close to what his eldest * * were scholars of highest rank in Vedic philosophy. brother Indrabhuti had asked. * Their names were (1) INDRABHUTI, (2) 4. The fourth Arya Vyakta Gandhar's doubt was con- * * AGNIBHUTI, (3) VAYUBHUTI, (all three of them cerned with the nature of existence of basic ele- * * were brothers with family name 'GAUTAM) (4) ments like ether, water, air, light, sky etc. * ARYA VYAKTA, (5) ARYA SUDHARMA SWAMY, 5. The fifth Gandhar Shri Sudharma Swami had * * (6) MANDITPUTRA, (7) MAURYA PUTRA, (6th & question or doubts whether soul that exists in body * * 7th Brothers again) (8) AKAMPITA SWAMI (9) at present time assumes the same body in rebirth * * ACHALAPUTRA SWAMI, (10) METRAYA SWAMI or not. * AND (11) PRABHASA SWAMI.
6. 6, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th Gandhars named re- * * It can be safely inferred from their age groups spectively as Manditaputra, Mauryaputra, * * that they were very matured thinkers and intellectu- Akampita Swami, Achalbrata Swami, Metraya * * ally honest.
Swami and Prabhasa Swami had doubts con- * * Barring 11th GANDHARA PRABHASWAMI all cerned mainly with causes, consequences and * * of them were over thirty six years of age when they implications of karma theory. Sixth Gandhar * * met Lord Mahavira for the first time. Inspite of being doubted Karma Bandh and Liberation, seventh and * * ****** ******* ******* ******* ****** ****
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